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1. Why does a star that has consumed the hydrogen fuel in its core
become more luminous as a red giant than it was as a main sequence star?
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2. Outline the stages in the old age and death of a one solar mass star.
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3. What is the helium flash? At what temperature will the helium flash take place? Which stars will undergo this flash?
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4. What causes the Horizontal Branch and Asymptotic Branch stages in the Red Giant phase of a star's life?
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5. What is a planetary nebula? Can you think of a better name for this stage in a star's life?
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6. What supports a white dwarf against further contraction by gravity?
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7. What is the size and density of a typical white dwarf? What is the upper limit to the mass that a white dwarf can have?
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8. How are nova explosions related to white dwarfs?
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9. Distinguish between a Type I and Type II supernova.
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10. What is meant by "the iron peak"? How is it related to Type II supernovae?
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11. The early Universe consisted of the light elements hydrogen and helium. Where did the heavy elements so abundant on Earth (and so necessary for life) come from?
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